Kialoa turns back time in Sydney-Hobart return

IN her day Kialoa II was the pride of the fleet - the fastest, sleekest, most technologically advanced maxi yacht in the world.

In 1971 she was the biggest boat ever to sail south in the Sydney to Hobart and remains one of the race's most famous line honours winners.

Wind the clock forward 46 years and Kialoa is no longer a fleet favourite, no longer anywhere near the biggest in the Sydney to Hobart and is roughly 10 times heavier than the line honours favourites - but she will still be one of its head turners when the 73rd race starts on Boxing Day.

Sailor Paddy Broughton and brother Keith have revived the legend of the famous ocean racer which contested the Fastnet race in the UK earlier this year before sailing 15,000 nautical miles to Australia for her Sydney to Hobart comeback.

"In her hey day she was the biggest and most glamorous boat in the race," Broughton said.

"And she still has a lot of class about her."

The 73-foot aluminium boat will take a crew of 18 south as she relives her glory days under the guidance of the Broughtons and numerous members of the famous Brindabella crew which won the Sydney to Hobart on the Australian maxi back in 1997.

The goal of the crew is to match - if not better - her winning time of three days, 12 hours, 46 minutes and 21sec set back in 1971.

This is more than twice the line honours winning time of the supermaxi Perpetual Loyal which made it to Hobart in just over one day and 13 hours last year.

Broughton and his team have partnered with Movember for the race and will carry a huge moustache decal on both sides of the boom as part of fundraising efforts.